6

Chapter 1

A small red kitten with unusual purple eyes, wondered around a large oak. "Mamma, why do these trees grow so big?" She asked in a small curious voice. "Zina come back here, do you want a hawk to find you, again!" a yellow she-cat hissed to the kit. "Now, now Marigold, don't go scaring Zinnia, that wasn't really her fault, and she's much bigger now." Mewed a bright large red tom. "Firelight, you're hopeless sometimes." Marigold sighed, as Zinnia scurried back up to the two cats. "Why do we have to travel so?" Zinnia asked licking her sore paw. Marigold looked to Firelight, fear and concern filled her beautiful light brown eyes as the wind ruffled her yellow fur. Firelight knew what she was thinking, she was a quick thinker, "Now my little fox, you must not ask so many questions or you'll swallow a fly, maybe even a frog if you keep this up." He purred to his young kit. Marigold let out a silent sigh of relief when she noticed that her daughter forgot all about the second question.

"Now Zina you wanted to know why these trees grew so big, correct?"

"Oh yes Papa! I want to know."

"Alright Zina, only if you do not ask any more silly questions for the day, promise?"

"I promise."

"These trees grow big because this 'Rowan's Forest.' Once we travel closer to the middle of the forest it will be all pine trees that is almost as tall as this oak, but in the middle of the forest there is one particularly tall pine, the tallest, the widest, and the over all largest tree in this forest. Rowan NeedleClaw traveled to this forest, he was guided by Sundew's light. You remember that legend right? Good. Rowan was among the first folk to come to this land. He was the first one with the 'Gift of the Moon' the power given to very few folk. But it is just a myth, a story. This forest is very old and that is why it contains such large trees."

Zinnia looked up at Firelight with amazement, "Papa, what is the 'Gift of the Moon'?" Her whiskers twitched as she heard thunder, though it was far away it startled her. "Zinnia Foxtail! No more questions, it is getting late." Marigold snapped. Zinnia shrunk back and leaped up when a cat came up behind her "Boo!" the cat sprung up out of a bush. "Teasel!" Zinnia hissed. Teasel was a light colored tom, a tan color, not yellow, not red. "Yes Zinnia?" He smirked in a sarcastic voice. "Poor little sis, afraid of some thunder are yeah?" he teased her. "Tease and Zinnia stop it! It's late and we need to find a place to sleep, it will be getting late soon." Firelight hissed at the two kits. "I found a cave in that old oak." Zinnia piped. "But I'm hungry…"

"I caught a few mice while I was exploring."

Teasel was allowed to travel farther because he was much bigger then Zinnia and much stronger, also if they kept the two kits together they would do nothing but argue.

"Momma, when will I be able to go hunting?" Zinnia asked as they padded toward the oak, Teasel was carrying his mice. "Teasel gets to hunt and he isn't older then me!"

"But he is bigger,"

"But mamma…"

"Soon, zina, soon, but you must be patient."

"Your just smaller then me, a lot smaller." Mewed Teasel proudly.

The family entered the burrow "I think a fox once lived here." Firelight mumbled while sniffing the walls. "But it is stale and it's roomy enough for all four of us." Marigold purred lying down. Zinnia sighed and fell over on some old leaves that were left in the den by the former creatures that lived in it. "Finally my paws can rest!" She sighed falling asleep soon beside her brother.

Zinnia dreamed of hunting and water. Though most of her folk despised water, and getting wet, she loved water. She felt as if water was her friend. As her dream went on she felt as if water was swirling below her paws, and when she looked down she was standing on water. Her eyes flew open, startled from her dream. She looked around but saw nothing but an empty den. She could hear her parents talking and closed her eyes as if she was still asleep and listened.
"Firelight we can't keep running like this." That was her mother. "Marigold you know it cannot be helped what if Zinnia got caught?"

"She wouldn't be able to do anything for them; she doesn't even know that she possesses it. Yes but why are they hunting her down? They once worshiped Vigar! Sundew gave the gift to our folk, and Sundew is daughter of Vigar"

"That may be true but Vigar is God of darkness and don't forget that now their leader is a fox. The Shadow Strikers no longer worship Vigar but now Silvertounge. That God once over powered both Vigar and Dovewing, and we know the rest of that part of the story no need to tell it all when we know it. But now that the gift has returned… Blaze plans on destroying all who hold it. They're even turning our own folk against the Gift. That fox will destroy anything that has to do with our folks Gods!"

"How will they know who possesses it?"

"The same way we know the mark on the bottom of her pad."

"That means they can follow us if they find her paw tracks and know she possesses the Gift of…. Oh! Hello dear good morning, how are you?" Zinnia stared at her parents for a few heartbeats that seemed forever. "I'm fine." She lied, she was confused and felt sick with all these secrets that involved her and she didn't even know what they were.

Teasel padded around the Oak Den, "Can I go hunting? There is so much prey in this forest!" He asked yawning in the dawn light, revealing his sharp white teeth. "Can I go too?" Firelight nodded "Teasel you can go hunting, take Zinnia with you. Show her how to hunt." He gave Teasel a stern look when he was about to protest. "Have fun and be back before sun-high." The two young ones nodded and ran off. "Firelight I hope you didn't just make a big mistake."

"Teasel will take care of her, and she is growing up, she'll have to face it sooner or later." Marigold just sighed, "Yes I know, and she can't stay in our protection for ever, I was young once too, but her Gift…"

"Don't worry my dear, what ever happens she is strong and she'll survive, and remember there are two others like her out there struggling with there Gift as well, lets just hope if we meet them they don't aren't using it for wrong."

Zinnia leaped after Teasel excited to go hunting. "Zinnia be careful, there is a pond near here, so don't stumble into it, I don't want to go back to Mother and Father and tell them that you drowned in the water." He hissed annoyed at her sister. "Okay." She mewed sarcastically, "Your not my boss and don't even try to act like it, I can take care of myself you know, your big oaf." She spat at Teasel. Teasel shot her an angry glance and padded on. "Ill go this way, and see if I can find anything, you see what you can find here." He mewed and padded away before Zinnia could reply. "Mouse-brain!" she mumbled. Zinnia padded away, the direction of the pond. As she listened to the wind moving the water like small waves it sounded as if the water was calling to her, ' Zinnia Foxtail… the holder of the Gift to control our waves…' Zinnia shook her head "I can't control anything" she mewed back to the silent voice, but she treaded on toward the water. Soon she found herself at the side of the small pond staring at it with her purple eyes. 'The Gift, it has returned… it has returned...' voices of the water arose to her ears, "What do you mean?" She looked down at the water in absolute confusion. Just then she remembered her dream, and what her parents were talking about. I wonder… she stepped onto the water, instead of sinking she stood upon it as if it was ground made of dirt and rock. She walked further into the water, each step making a rippling in the water as she moved along. This is amazing! I can really walk on water! She was so excited that she almost leaped but fear of falling into the water made her stay walking instead. Is… Is this the Gift? As if to answer hear the water voice came again 'She does posses it, the mistress of water!' the voices seemed to becoming from everywhere now. This made Zinnia nervous and she ran toward shore again, water splashing behind her as she made it to shore, panting and shaking with fear and exhaustion.

Teasel walked toward her with a rabbit in his mouth, he sat it down and glared at her. "What are you doing so close to the water, you mouse-brained fool!" he hissed at his sister. "It's none of your business, your not older then me, I'm not a helpless kit so leave me alone!" she hissed back and Teasel flinched at the hatred in her voice. She had never had such a harsh voice before and was directed to the unsuspecting tom. Zinnia bounded away, away from the water, away from her brother. She ran through the forest until she ran into another cat. Zinnia fell down on her tail with a light thump; she looked up and saw a black cat with white blotches. "H… hi." She stammered, staring at the cat who just gained his footing back, but did not fall. "Wow, what were you running from? Fells like your must have been running like that for a good reason." He laughed looking down at Zinnia. "N… no, I was just running from my brother. H… he made me mad." She stammered again, standing up. "Well, lucky for me you weren't running from a badger or fox or I might have been flung into a tree. Well, now don't be afraid, what's your name?" he licked his ruffled chest fur a couple of times. "My name is Zinnia Foxtail, daughter of Firelight Bravefang and Marigold Nightsong."

A gray tom came out from behind a tree. "Did you say Firelight?" she could fell his emerald eyes burning into her long red fur. "Ash, that's what she said, you heard her. Unless you're getting hard at hearing." He teased the gray tom, Ash. "Well hello Zinnia, I'm Marn, and this big rain cloud is Ash." Ash dipped his head in greeting. "Well Zinnia, what are you doing out her by yourself? Where are you parents, and your brother? See Marn, I can hear." He nudged Marn. "Honestly I don't know, they are at an old fox den."

"We'll take you back, if you want. I haven't seen the Old Firelight in many seasons."

"So you know my father?"

"Oh yes, but you'll learn more about that later, we need to get back there before dark. Marn are you coming?"

"What are you a mouse-brained pigeon? Of course I'm coming; I haven't seen him since I was kit." Zinnia looked at them in amazement, but followed. "I think Teasel has returned already." She mumbled.

Marn walked in front of her and Ash followed behind. They walked by the pond, and Zinnia stopped and stared out at the water, but this time it was silent. "Zinnia?" Ash asked as he came up behind her. "I'm fine, sorry." She smiled, though her eyes betrayed her feelings. She ran to catch up with Marn. Ash looked at the pond for a moment then went to catch up when he saw a paw-print with the sign of water on it.